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November 5, 2009

Decisions On Gonzalez, Varitek Due

In the next five days, the Red Sox will likely exercise the club options for 2010 on Victor Martinez ($7 million) and Tim Wakefield ($4).

They have seven days to decide on Alex Gonzalez ($6), though Seabass can opt out of the option even if the club picks it up. There is also a decision to be made regarding Jason Varitek ($5), who has a $3 player option.

Theo Epstein said that David Ortiz has been working out at Fenway Park almost every day since the ALDS ended. "It's still early in the offseason, but he looks like he's in great shape." 2010 is the final year of Ortiz's contract; the Red Sox hold a $12.5 option for 2011.

11 comments:

Even I have to admit that I don't see the Sox exercising the Varitek option. The real question is what will they do with him for $3 million. Let him be an occasional backup catcher and bench/pitching coach? I don't see him catching Wakefield, so he can't be the Mirabelli guy.

If he could play once or maybe twice a week, it might be worth it, but as his playing time lessened this past season, he hit even worse.

If they don't want him back, they don't; the money is the same. If he decides to come back, will there be a bad scene at the end of spring training if they dump him?

I'm assuming the Sox will let Tek know what they plan to do ahead of time (decline). Then maybe Varitek, knowing the market for him after 2008 was nil and that has not changed, retires. Take a year off and (if he wants) come back to work for the team in 2011.